Meter



' Dec. 14, 1926. 1,610,304 v E. L. MABIE METER Filed April 24, 1926 h above the other, in Others they will be yar-` .Pantea De.`14, 1926. i

s i i UNITED' sTATEs;

PATENT OFFICE.

EDIIUND L. MABIE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AssIl'srNoNl To JEWELL ELECTRICAL IN- s'IRUMEN'r COMPANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 'or ILLINOIS.

METER.

l Application led April 24, 1923. Serial No. 104,281.

This invention relates tonneters and pari tlcularly to meters such for instance as ammeters Which are adapted to be arranged on instrument boards or mounting plates as of radio sets or the like by a detachable plug and socket connection; 4

There appears to'be no general manner adopted by manufacturers as to the 'arrangement on the instrument board of the sockets for receiving the terminal plugsof meters. For instance, in -some cases lthe sockets will be arranged vertically one' ranged horizontally, in some theyv may be arranged diagonally on the board and in -boards of sets of different manufacture the position of the positive and negative socket v terminals may be reversed, thus causing great confusion and making it difficultl for meter 'manufacturers to lprovide meters which will appear with the correct side of the dial uppermost when applied to .the plug sockets on boards of. different characters.

The object of the present invention, is

therefore, the provision of a meter having j plug terminal attaching means which willily from a detailed description vthereofy taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a mounting board with a meter so positioned therebefore that its terminal plugs may. be inserted in the plug sockets of the board.

Fig. 2 is a section through the board and meter of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view .of the back` of the'. meter showing the plugs thereof arranged 1n a substantially vertical plane;

Fig, 4 shows the Atermmal [plugs-9i the yto the plug mounting plate, "and l ltheline 7-7 of Fig. 4.

meter arranged in a substantially horizontal plane, and the meter housing so adjusted in Fig. 5 lis a Ivie-W rsimilar to Fig. 3, but

shows the position of the terminal plugs of the meter reversed, that is, with the plug `-relation tothe supporting plate for the which islowermost in Fig.r 3 uppermost in Fig. 5,. and Withihe meter housing rotated through an angle of substantially 180^de grees in relationto the mounting plate for the plugs; f

.'Figu diagrammatically indicates variousv i positions thel plugs may assume in relation Fig. 7 is a section through a'portionl'ifdjf the vrear plate of a meter substantially',l on

Referring now'to the drawings, in whichV like reference characters indicate the same 'parts in the several views, 10 indicates the mounting board having therein the plug sockets 11 and 12. 'In the present disclosure.

of vthe invention these `sockets are shown with threaded portions 13 and 14 which are. '0.

forms no part of the presentv invention and disclosed is con-fl 'any other mounting arrangement may be l tained ina cylindrical housing member 155..

plate 17 of insulating material. rests upon the shoulder 18 formed between the parts 15 and 16 ofthe shell. -Secured to theA insulating disc. 17 as by means of rivets 19 area air of metal plates 20 and 21,.separated a ong the irregular space 22. Plate -20 is provided therein with a curved slot .23 whichis substantially parallel to the buter edge of the plate and extends through an are of about 'one-hundred and seventytve (175) degrees. Plate 21 is provided with a similar slot 24. Extending through the slots 23 and 24 are the threaded mem bers 25 and 26, provided with the square khaving the outwardly offset portion 16 with--v4 Y in which is mounted a mounting disc orA Disc 17 metallic plates and`21 are retained in position by means of the bolt or rivet which likewise forms an electrical connection be- Y tween plate 20 and one terminal of the me- The lterminal plugs 30 and 31 are provid` ed with longitudinally extending threaded bores, such as shown at 33, arranged to receive the projecting threaded ends of members 25 and 26.l vThus by rotating the plugs 31 and 32, they may be adjusted along the Y members 25 and 26 firmly to clamp the i meter terminal by means of the bolt or'rivet 3() The other meter terminal is joinedv to plates 20 and 21, respectively, between the plugs 31 'and The threaded members heads 27 and 28nd the inner ends ofthe 25l and 26 are vented from rotating by r 1 the square heads 27 and 28 engagingiwithA positioned. Y

As above explained, plate 20, and consequently terminal plug 31, is joined to one the respective slots 29 in which they are thebrush or contact.40, the inner end f which is' fixed in the meter structure, the outer 'end being arranged to project through aligned slots in the insulating disc 17 and plate 21. This slot is indicated generally at 41. The outer end 42 of brush 40 is longitudinallyslotted, as indicated'at 43, so that` Vhaving the pointer 50 thereon adapted to be moved over the graduated. arc 52 responsive to the flow of electrical current through the' meter.

It is, of course, desirable that the metery always be applied to the board so that the arc 52 is uppermost regardless of the ari negative pole.

rangement of the plug sockets on the board. lWe will assumethat the socket 12 of" Fig. 1. is positiveand socket l1,1 is joined to the We, also, will assume that theplug 31 is. connected to the positive ter- 'mihal of themeter and plug 32 vto thenegative, asindicated on the drawings. lThus in i j applyin the meter tosockets 1.1 and 12, plug 32 will uppermost and the adjustable elei ments at the back pf themetermay appear v asin Fig. 3 with the plugs 31, and 32 substantially mldway of their mounting slots' 23 9.111124, respectively. Also, the meter housmg comprising members 15 and' 16 will bef rotated relative to plates 17, 20 and 21 in a clockwise direction, as seen -in Fig. 1, until 'brush' 42v is substantially at theend of Tits slot- 41. This rotary 4adjustment*between housing I 15 and plate 17 is` possible on .account of'platevl'f being merely frictionally retained engagementwith shoulder 18 by .the member 30.- lt this be Seal 3. In a meter, a housing, a pair of metal that not only may the plugs be adjusted i f We will next assume that the positive socket, as 12, is at the lett and the negative socket at the right. The adjustable parts of the meter will now be positioned, as shown .in Fig. 4, which will still operate to place the arc 52 uppermost.

If we assume that the positive socket is uppermost and the negativeV socket there'- under, the meter parts will be adjusted, as shown in Fig. 5, with lug 31 arranged at the top of the meter and plng 32 at the bot-- tom. This ligure shows the meter housing, as seen in Fig. 1, rotated in a counterclockwise direction, in relation tol plate 17 until brush 42 occupies that end of slot 41 opposite to theend occupied in Fig. 3. j It is thought unnecessary for a full disclosure of the invention to describe the positions assumed by the parts of the meter when associated with sockets having other relative positions, asdiagonal, for it is believed obvious from the explanation above that the plugs areso connected to the meter housing as to permit of adjustment to accommodate all socket arrangements and still place the meter arc 52 uppermost.

While in the drawings and in the above description but a single form of the invention has been disclosed, it is to be understood that manyA modications in the details of construction are contemplated. The invention, therefore, should be held to include all forms of the invention included by the scope of the appended claims.

Having. thus described my invention, what I claim'as newland desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1.'In .apdevic'e of the class described, a housing, a mounting plate carried by said housing and terminal plugs adjustably supported on said mounting plate.

2. Ina meter, a housing, a pair of. contact plates carried by said housing' on oppo- A site sides thereof, terminal plugs, one electrically, joined v,to each-,of said plates and means for permitting adjustment ofV saidy plates, respectively, along arplugs on said cuate lines.-

contact plates carried by said housing. said contact plates 'being provide'd',"respectively,

with arcuate slots thereifn, terminal plugs extendingthrough' said slots, respectively', and means for securing .said plugsfat desired 1plositions in'said lots.

4. a meter, a housing, a air of metal contact plates carried. by said ousing, said4 f plates being provided, respectively, with arllte Slots therein, ,terminal plugs, 'each exthe slot to the other side of the plate and a screw threaded member adjustable on its said screw threaded portion. Y

5. In a meter, a housing, a mounting plate rotatablymounted on sald housing, a pair of contact plates carried by said mounting plate, terminal plugs, one electrically joined to eachv of said contact plates, means per# mitting Aadjustment ofsaid plugs on said contact plates, respectively, terminals for the said meter and means electrically connecting said terminals tosaid contact plates,

respectively, one of said connecting means including a brush having wiping engagement Withone of said contact plates.

6. 'In a meter, a housing, a mounting plate rotatably mounted on rsaid housing, a pair.

of contact plates carried b said mounting plate at opposite sides t ereof, terminal. plugs, one electrically joined to each of said contact plates, means permitting adjustment of said plugs on said plates along substan tially arcuate lines, terminals for the said meter and means electrically connecting said terminals to said contact plates, respectively, one of'said connecting means including a brush having wiping engagement with one of said contact plates, the other connecting 'means comprising a member extending through one of said contact plates andsaid mounting plate at substantially its axis of rotation.

7. In a meter, a housing, a mounting plate `adjustably4 mounted on said housing, a pair of contact platescarried by said mounting plate, said contact plates having arcuate slots therein, terminal plugs, one electrically joined to each of said plates, each plug including a 'portion extending throu h` the slot of its respective plate, lterminals or said meter and meanselectrically connectingsaid terminalsto said .contact plates, respectively, one ofsaid connecting means including a brush having wiping ,engagement :with`r one of said contact plates.

8. In a meter, a housing, a mounting plate adjus'tably mounted on said housing,contact plates carried by said mounting plate, tcrminal plugs, one electrically joined to each` of said plates, terminals for said meter and means electrically connecting said terminals to said contact plates, respectively,v one of said connecting means including. a'v brush having wiping engagement withpne of said contact plates. l v

9. In a meter, a housing, a mounting plate rotatably mounted on said housing, a pair of contact plates carried by saidu mounting plate, a stud passing through said mounting plate at substantially its axis of rotation,

ing relative to said contact plates.

said mounting plate lat substantially its axis l of rotation,`terminal plugs, one electrically -joined to each of said contact plates, l,ter-

minals for the said meter, and means connecting said terminals to said contact plates, respectively, one of said connecting means including a brush having wiping engagement with one of said contact plates, the othr said connecting means including said stu 11. In a meter, a housing, a mounting plate, a pair of slotted plates carried by said mounting plate, terminal plugs slidably .se-

lcured insaid slotted plates to permit adjustment .of said plugs relative to sraid housing and to each other, and means to permit rotative movement of said housing relative to sid mounting plate.

12.' v,In a meter, a housing for enclosing an electrical measuring instrument, a mounting plate rotatable relative to ysaid,housing, a pair of separated slotted plates secured to said mounting plate, terminal plugs slidably secured in said slotted plates to permit said plugs to be inserted in sockets of any desired relative location, means permitting the rotation of said housing relative to said slottedplates, and means for maintaining electrical connections from saidplates to said measuring instrument throughout the rotative movement of 'said housing.

13. In a meter, a housing for enclosing an electrical instrument, a' mountingsupport, a

pair of conductingfplates secured to said mounting support, meansfor rotatably securing said mounting supporti to said housing comprising a headed pin in electrical contact with one of said plates and 'with a terminalof said instrument, and a sliding contact between the other of said plates and the other` terminal of said instrument so that said instrument and housing may be rotated relative to said plates.

14. In a meter, a housing, a mounting plate adjustably mounted in said housing, contact plates-carried by said. mounting plate, terminal lugs, one electricallyjoined to each of sai plates, terminals lfor said me'ter, and means for electrically connecting said terminals to said contact plates respectively and permitting rotation of said hous- 15. In a meter, a substantially cylindrical housing, a mounting plate rotatably mounted within said: housing,"contact plates carriedby said mounting plate; terminal plugs' adapted to be adjustablyfpositioned invsaid' contact plates, terminals vfor said meter,

means for connecting said` meter terminals to sald contact plates respectively comprls-v lng a spindle coaxial with said housing and rotatable in one of said contact plates and a sliding contact member electrically connect' ed to one of said meter terminals' and slidable ina slotv formed in the other of said contact plates, so as to permit rotative movespecification.

ment of said 11n-eterv andhousing relative to l said mounting plate.

A16. Ina meter2 a supporting base, a 1urality .of electrlcalconnectors exten ing from said base, anelectrical measurin instrument on said base havin'g a dial, an ail-- justable electrical connections between said instrument and said connectors enablingA EDMUN'D L. MABIE, 

